Comunidad Valenciana say they should get Continental status, Laurent Roux among those detained after

PICTURE BY TDWSPORT.COM The directors of the Comunidad Valenciana team have denied reports in the Spanish press that the squad is on verge of rejection from Continental status, the minimum requirement for it to be able to take up invitations to ProTour events such as the Vuelta and San Sebastian Classic. A story in Friday’s Marca reports rumours suggesting that Comunidad Valenciana’s sponsorship contract with what was until recently the Kelme team is not fully in order. The International Cycling Union (UCI) gave teams wanting Continental status until January 17 to complete their applications. However, team boss Jos Luis Aznar has told the Todociclismo website that problems with the team’s application are the result of misunderstandings rather than any lack of required information. “We are very calm about it and I spoke with UCI delegate Alain Rumpf this morning and he told me everything was in order,” said Aznar. “The problems that seem to have been found are simply errors in communication between the auditors in Valencia and those in Switzerland.” The team is still looking for a co-sponsor, but Aznar indicated that the Valencian regional government would take on full responsibility for the team if one cannot be found. – It has been revealed that following Tuesday’s raids on the members of a drug trafficking ring based in south-west France and Belgium, the former Castorama, TVM and Jean Delatour rider Laurent Roux has been detained. Police said earlier in the week that 93 vials of ‘pot belge’ as well as a substantial amount of cash were recovered during the raids. Roux, 32, and his brother Fabien are among the 19 people detained in France. Also taken in was former ADR soigneur Freddy Sergent, who is alleged to be the man behind the ring that was smuggling doping products into France from Belgium. Roux’s pro career came to an end in 2003 when he was suspended for four years by the Court for Arbitration in Sport after testing positive for amphetamines for the second time. Friday’s L’Equipe also reports that among eight people detained in Marseille as part of the investigation are two men who were members of the pro peloton last season.